Figure Ground

Solo Exhibition by American Artist Steven Tritt

Curated by Rebecca George

April 1-30, 2022

Exclusively on The Art House Gallery

PRESS RELEASE

“When I start there is a general idea for a subject but any adherence to it can be abandoned at any time. I work intuitively with a focus on an honest, authentic approach to art-making, straddling the line between representation and abstraction, owing no allegiance to either.” –Steven Tritt, 2022

“Figure Ground is a solo exhibition of achromatic work by American artist Steven Tritt. The body of work spans two years, encompassing various series exploring conflict, power and spirituality. Tritt is interested in the blending of visual language: introducing hieroglyphic transparencies, realizing white to be dark and black to be light. The work in Figure Ground thoroughly investigates dichotomies: Representation vs Abstraction, Gestural vs Geometric, Flat vs Depth, Positive vs Negative, and Opaque vs Transparent.” –Curatorial Comments by Rebecca George

Exhibition Background

Figure Ground features work from multiple concurrent series. The first series, Legacy, originates in 2020. The work is immediate and full of emotion, a reflection of the tension in our country. This in turn leads to the Law & Order series with the addition of media including the application of charcoal, latex and acrylic paint, spray paint and ink, and reworking the surface by scraping and scratching. Those paintings are small in scale, energetic and intense, done on yupo and canvas. In Wallscapes, the third series, the scale grows and there is a painterly approach. Transparent layers and animal imagery appear. I hesitate to say brighter in tone, but these paintings are less aggressive. There’s less drawing as well. 

Figure Ground is a true mixed media exhibition due not only to the use of multiple media but also to the content which ranges from victims and perpetrators of violence to our misfortunate relationship with Nature. The three series make up the exhibition of Figure Ground and although all this work is from the last two years it is a showing of paintings ten years in the making. 

Figure Ground

Solo Exhibition by American Artist Steven Tritt

Curated by Rebecca George

April 1-30, 2022

Exclusively at The Art House Gallery

View PRESS RELEASE

View REVIEW BY KRISTEN BEAULIEU

“When I start there is a general idea for a subject but any adherence to it can be abandoned at any time. I work intuitively with a focus on an honest, authentic approach to art-making, straddling the line between representation and abstraction, owing no allegiance to either.” –Steven Tritt, 2022

“Figure Ground is a solo exhibition of achromatic work by American artist Steven Tritt. The body of work spans two years, encompassing various series exploring conflict, power and spirituality. Tritt is interested in the blending of visual language: introducing hieroglyphic transparencies, realizing white to be dark and black to be light. The work in Figure Ground thoroughly investigates dichotomies: Representation vs Abstraction, Gestural vs Geometric, Flat vs Depth, Positive vs Negative, and Opaque vs Transparent.” –Curatorial Comments by Rebecca George

Exhibition Background

Figure Ground features work from multiple concurrent series. The first series, Legacy, originates in 2020. The work is immediate and full of emotion, a reflection of the tension in our country. This in turn leads to the Law & Order series with the addition of media including the application of charcoal, latex and acrylic paint, spray paint and ink, and reworking the surface by scraping and scratching. Those paintings are small in scale, energetic and intense, done on yupo and canvas. In Wallscapes, the third series, the scale grows and there is a painterly approach. Transparent layers and animal imagery appear. I hesitate to say brighter in tone, but these paintings are less aggressive. There’s less drawing as well. 

Figure Ground is a true mixed media exhibition due not only to the use of multiple media but also to the content which ranges from victims and perpetrators of violence to our misfortunate relationship with Nature. The three series make up the exhibition of Figure Ground and although all this work is from the last two years it is a showing of paintings ten years in the making.